by Daniel Defoe
excused them. Then they brought us the Bows and Arrows and Lances; but at a
Motion of their black Prince, we gave them back the Bows and Arrows, and gave
them Leave to go out to see what they could kill for Food; and here we gave them
the Law of Arms, viz. That if any Men appeared to assault them, or shoot at
them, or offer any Violence to them, they might kill them; but that they should
not offer to kill or hurt any that offer'd them Peace, or laid down their
Weapons, nor any Women or Children, upon any Occasion whatsoever. These were our
Articles of War.
These two Fellows had not been gone out above three or four Hours, but one of
them came running to us without his Bow and Arrows, hallooing and hooping a
great while before he came at us, Okoamo, Okoamo, which it seems was, Help,
Help. The rest of the Negroes rose up in a Hurry, and by Two's, as they could,
run forward toward their Fellows to know what the Matter was. As for me, I did
not understand it, nor any of our People; the Prince look'd as if something
unlucky had fallen out, and some of our Men took up their Arms, to be ready on
Occasion. But the Negroes soon discover'd the Thing; for we saw four of them
presently after coming along with a great Load of Meat upon their Backs. The
Case was, that the first two who went out with their Bows and Arrows, meeting
with a great Herd of Deer in the Plain, had been so nimble as to shoot three of
them; and then one of them came running to us for Help, to fetch them away. This
was the first Venison we had met with upon all our March, and we feasted upon it
very plentifully; and this was the first time we began to prevail with our
Prince to eat his Meat drest our Way; after which, his Men were prevailed with
by his Example, but before that, they eat most of the Flesh they had quite raw.
We wish'd now we had brought some Bows and Arrows out with us, which we might
have done; and we began to have so much Confidence in our Negroes, and to be so
familiar with them, that we oftentimes let them go, or the greatest Part of
them, unty'd, being well assured they would not leave us, and that they did not
know what Course to take without us; but one thing we resolved not to trust them
with, and that was the Charging our Guns; but they always believed our Guns had
some heavenly Power in them, that they would send forth Fire and Smoke, and
speak with a dreadful Noise, and kill at a Distance whenever we bid them.
In about eight Days we finished three Canoes, and in them we embarked our white
Men and our Baggage, with our Prince, and some of the Prisoners. We also found
it needful to keep some of our selves always on Shore, not only to manage the
Negroes, but to defend them from Enemies and wild Beasts. Abundance of little
Incidents happened upon this March, which it is not possible to crowd into this
Account; particularly, we saw more wild Beasts now than we did before, some
Elephants, and two or three Lions; none of which Kinds we had seen any of
before; and we found our Negroes were more afraid of them a great deal than we
were; principally because they had no Bows and Arrows, or Lances, which were the
particular Weapons they were bred up to the Exercise of.
But we cured them of their Fears, by being always ready with our Fire-Arms.
However, as we were willing to be sparing of our Powder, and the Killing any of
the Creatures now was no Advantage to us, seeing their Skins were too heavy for
us to carry, and their Flesh not good to eat, we resolved therefore to keep some
of our Pieces uncharg'd, and only prim'd, and causing them to flash in the Pan,
the Beasts, even the Lions themselves, would always start, and fly back when
they saw it, and immediately march off.
We past Abundance of Inhabitants upon this upper Part of the River, and with
this Observation, that almost every ten Miles we came to, a several Nation, and
every several Nation had a different Speech, or else their Speech had differing
Dialects, so that they did not understand one another. They all abounded in
Cattel, especially on the River Side; and the eighth Day of this second
Navigation, we met with a little Negroe Town, where they had growing a Sort of
Corn like Rice, which eat very sweet; and as we got some of it of the People, we
made very good Cakes of Bread of it, and making a Fire, bak'd them on the
Ground, after the Fire was swept away very well; so that hitherto we had no Want
of Provisions of any kind we could desire.
Our Negroes towing our Canoes, we travelled at a considerable Rate, and by our
own Account, could not go less than 20 or 25 English Miles a Day, and the River
continuing to be much at the same Breadth, and very deep all the Way, till on
the tenth Day we came to another Cataract; for a Ridge of high Hills crossing
the whole Channel of the River, the Water came tumbling down the Rocks from one
Stage to another in a strange Manner: So that it was a continued Link of
Cataracts from one to another, in the Manner of a Caskade; only, that the Falls
were sometimes a Quarter of a Mile from one another, and the Noise confused and
frightful.
We thought our Voyaging was at a full Stop now; but three of us, with a Couple
of our Negroes, mounting the Hills another Way, to view the Course of the River,
we found a fair Channel again after about half a Mile's March, and that it was
like to hold us a good Way farther. So we set all Hands to Work, unloaded our
Cargo, and hauled our Canoes on Shore, to see if we could carry them.
Upon Examination, we found that they were very heavy; but our Carpenters
spending but one Day's Work one them, hew'd away so much of the Timber from
their Outsides, as reduced them very much, and yet they were as fit to swim as
before. When this was done, ten Men with Poles took up one of the Canoes, and
made nothing to carry it. So we ordered twenty Men to each Canoe, that one Ten
might relieve another; and thus we carried all our Canoes, and launch'd them
into the Water again, and then fetch'd our Luggage, and loaded it all again into
the Canoes, and all in an Afternoon; and the next Morning early we mov'd forward
again. When we had towed about four Days more, our Gunner, who was our Pilot,
begun to observe that we did not keep our right Course so exactly as we ought,
the River winding away a little towards the North, and gave us Notice of it
accordingly. However, we were not willing to lose the Advantage of
Water-Carriage, at least not till we were forced to it; so we jogg'd on, and the
River served us about Threescore Miles further; but then we found it grew very
small and shallow, having pass'd the Mouths of several little little Brooks or
Rivulets which come into it, and at Length it became but a Brook it self.
We tow'd up as far as ever our Boats would swim, and we went two Days the
further, having been about twelve Days in this last Part of the River, by
Lightning the Boats, and taking our Luggage out, which we made the Negroes
carry, being willing to ease our selves as long as we could; but at the End of
these two Days, in short, there was not Water enough to swim a London Wherry.
We now set forward
wholly by Land, and without any Expectation of more Water
Carriage. All our Concern for more Water, was to be sure to have a Supply for
our Drinking; and therefore upon every Hill that we came near, we clamber'd up
to the highest Part, to see the Country before us, and to make the best Judgment
we could which way to go to keep the lowest Grounds, and as near some Stream of
Water as we could.
The Country held verdant, well grown with Trees, and spread with Rivers and
Brooks, and tolerably well with Inhabitants, for about thirty Days March. After
our leaving the Canoes, during which time things went pretty well with us; we
did not tye our selves down when to march, and when to halt, but order'd those
things as our Convenience, and the Health and Ease of our People, as well our
Servants, as our selves, required.
About the Middle of this March, we came into a low and plain Country, in which
we perceived a greater Number of Inhabitants than in any other Country we had
gone thro'; but that which was worse for us, we found them a fierce, barbarous,
treacherous People, and who at first look'd upon us as Robbers, and gathered
themselves in Numbers to attack us.
Our Men were terrified at them at first, and began to discover an unusual Fear;
and even our black Prince seemed in a great deal of Confusion: But I smiled at
him, and shewing him some of our Guns, I asked him, if he thought that which
killed the spotted Cat, (for so they called the Leopard in their Language) could
not make a Thousand of those naked Creatures die at one Blow? Then he laugh'd,
and said Yes, he believ'd it would. Well then, said I, tell your Men not to be
afraid of these People, for we shall soon give them a Taste of what we can do,
if they pretend to meddle with us. However, we considered we were in the Middle
of a vast Country, and we knew not what Numbers of People and Nations we might
be surrounded with; and above all, we knew not how much we might stand in Need
of the Friendship of these that we were now among; so that we ordered the
Negroes to try all the Methods they could, to make them Friends.
Accordingly, the two Men who had gotten Bows and Arrows, and two more to whom we
gave the Prince's two fine Lances, went foremost with five more having long
Poles in their Hands; and after them ten of our Men advanced toward the Negro
Town that was next to us, and we all stood ready to succour them if there should
be Occasion.
When they came pretty near their Houses, our Negroes halloo'd in their screaming
Way, and called to them as loud as they could; upon their calling, some of the
Men came out, and answer'd, and immediately after the whole Town, Men Women and
Children appeared: Our Negroes with their long Poles went forward a little, and
stuck them all in the Ground, and left them, which in their Country was a Signal
of Peace, but the other did not understand the Meaning of that. Then the two Men
with Bows, laid down their Bows and Arrows, went forward unarmed, and made Signs
of Peace to them, which at last the other began to understand; so two of their
Men laid down their Bows and Arrows, and came towards them: Our Men made all the
Signs of Friendship to them that they could think of, putting their Hands up to
their Mouths, as a Sign that they wanted Provisions to eat, and the other
pretended to be pleased and friendly, and went back to their Fellows, and talk'd
with them a while, and they came forward again, and made Signs that they would
bring some Provisions to them before the Sun set; and so our Men came back again
very well satisfied for that time.
But an Hour before Sun-set our Men went to them again, just in the same Posture
as before, and they came according to their Appointment, and brought Deers
Flesh, Roots, and the same kind of Corn like Rice, which I mentioned above, and
our Negroes being furnish'd with such Toys as our Cutler had contrived, gave
them some of them, which they seem'd infinitely pleas'd with, and promis'd to
bring more Provisions the next Day.
Accordingly, the next Day they came again, but our Men perceived they were more
in Number by a great many than before; however, having sent out ten Men with
Fire-Arms to stand ready, and our whole Army being in View also, we were not
much surprized; nor was the Treachery of the Enemy so cunningly ordered as in
other Cases; for they might have surrounded our Negroes, which, were but nine,
under a Shew of Peace; but when they saw our Men advance almost as far as the
Place where they were the Day before, the Rogues snatch'd up their Bows and
Arrows, and come running upon our Men like so many Furies, at which our ten Men
called to the Negroes to come back to them, which they did with Speed enough at
the first Word, and stood all behind our Men. As they fled, the other advanced,
and let fly near a 100 of their Arrows at them, by which two of our Negroes were
wounded, and one we thought had been killed. When they came to the five Poles
that our Men had stuck in the Ground, they stood still a while, and gathering
about the Poles, looked at them, and handled them as wondering at what they
meant. We then who were drawn up behind all, sent one of our Number to our ten
Men, to bid them fire among them, while they stood so thick, and to put some
small Shot into their Guns, besides the ordinary Charge, and to tell them, that
we would be up with them immediately.
Accordingly they made ready, but by that time they were ready to fire, the Black
Army had left their wondering about the Poles, and began to stir as if they
would come on, tho' seeing more Men stand at some Distance behind our Negroes,
they could not tell what to make of us; but if they did not understand us
before, they understood us less afterwards, for as soon as ever our Men found
them begin to move forward, they fired among the thickest of them, being about
the Distance of 120 Yards, as near as we could guess.
It is impossible to express the Fright, the Screaming and Yelling of those
Wretches upon this first Volley; we killed six of them, and wounded 11 or 12, I
mean as we knew of; for, as they stood thick, and the small Shot, as we called
it, scattered among them, we had Reason to believe we wounded more that stood
farther off; for our small Shot was made of Bits of Lead, and Bits of Iron,
Heads of Nails, and such things as our diligent Artificer the Cutler help'd us
to.
As to those that were killed and wounded, the other frighted Creatures were
under the greatest Amazement in the World, to think what should hurt them; for
they could see nothing but Holes made in their Bodies they knew not how. Then
the Fire and the Noise amazed all their Women and Children, and frighted them
out of their Wits, that they ran staring and howling about like mad Creatures.
However, all this did not make them fly, which was what we wanted; nor did we
find any of them die as it were with Fear, as at first, so we resolved upon a
second Volley, and then to advance as we did before. Whereupon our reserved Men
advancing, we resolved to fire only three Men at a time, and move forward like
a
n Army firing in Platoons; so being all in Line we fired first three on the
Right, then three on the Left, and so on; and every time we killed or wounded
some of them; but still they did not fly, and yet they were so frighted, that
they used none of their Bows and Arrows, or of their Lances; and we thought
their Numbers encreased upon our Hands; particularly we thought so by the Noise;
so I called to our Men to halt, and bid them pour in one whole Volley, and then
shout, as we did in our first Fight, and so run in upon them, and knock them
down with our Musquets.
But they were too wise for that too, for as soon as we had fired a whole Volley,
and shouted, they all run away, Men, Women, and Children, so fast, that in a few
Moments we could not see one Creature of them, except some that were wounded and
lame, who lay wallowing and screaming here and there upon the Ground, as they
happen'd to fall.
Upon this we came up to the Field of Battle, where we found we had killed 37 of
them, among which were three Women, and had wounded about 64 among which were
two Women; by wounded I mean, such as were so maimed, as not to be able to go
away, and those our Negroes killed afterwards in a cowardly manner in cold
Blood, for which we were very angry, and threatned to make them go to them if
they did so again.
There was no great Spoil to be got, for they were all stark naked as they came
into the World, Men and Women together; some of them having Feathers stuck in
their Hair, and others a kind of Bracelets about their Necks, but nothing else;
but our Negroes got a Booty here which we were very glad of, and this was the
Bows and Arrows of the vanquished, of which they found more than they knew what
to do with, belonging to the killed and wounded Men; these we ordered them to
pick up, and they were very useful to us afterwards. After the Fight, and our
Negroes had gotten Bows and Arrows, we sent them out in Parties to see what they
could get, and they got some Provisions; but, which was better than all the
rest, they brought us four more young Bulls, or Buffloes, that had been brought
up to Labour, and to carry Burthens: They knew them, it seems, by the Burthens
they had carry'd having galled their Backs; for, they have no Saddles to cover
them with in that Country.
Those Creatures not only eased our Negroes, but gave us an Opportunity to carry
more Provisions, and our Negroes loaded them very hard at this Place, with Flesh
and Roots, such as we wanted very much afterwards.
In this Town we found a very little young Leopard, about two Spans high; it was
exceeding tame, and purr'd like a Cat when we stroked it with our Hands, being,
as I suppose, bred up among the Negroes like a House-Dog. It was our Black
Prince, it seems, who making his Tour among the abandoned Houses or Hutts, found
this Creature there, and making much of him, and giving a Bit or two of Flesh to
him, the Creature followed him like a Dog; of which more hereafter.
Among the Negroes that were killed in this Battle, there was one who had a
little thin Bit or Plate of Gold, about as big as a Six-Pence, which hung by a
little Bit of a twisted Gutt, upon his Forehead, by which we supposed he was a
Man of some Eminence among them; but that was not all, for this Bit of Gold put
us upon searching very narrowly, if there was not more of it to be had
thereabouts, but we found none at all.
From this Part of the Country we went on for about 15 Days, and then found our
selves obliged to march up a high Ridge of Mountains frightful to behold, and
the first of the Kind that we met with; and having no Guide but our little
Pocket Compass, we had no Advantage of Information as to which was the best, or
the worst Way, but were obliged to chuse by what we saw, and shift as well as we
could. We met with several Nations of wild and naked People in the plain